Chapter Text
“Mr. Park, you can probably see why we are… apprehensive about hiring. It’s not a glamorous job.”
The temperature of this office is criminally high. Gyeong-seok shifts a little in the leather seat, feeling the way his four year old dress pants that somehow still fit him stick to his thighs. A bead of sweat runs down the back of his neck, and he tries to nonchalantly run a hand through his hair, but he’s never been too good at appearing cool, so he just looks a little awkward. He leans forward and braces his elbows on the desk.
“I don’t need glamorous. I need steady hours and a paycheck.”
“Kids are messy,” begins the principal, Mr. Hwang, as stated through their few email exchanges and the silver lined name plate on the desk. “You’re going to have to clean up more bodily fluids than you knew existed.”
Gyeong-seok winces a bit but doesn’t back down. “I’m a single dad to a sick kid. I’ve cleaned up more vomit than you can imagine.”
Mr. Hwang exhales through his nose, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. “Your resume was impressive. You have dozens of references who speak very highly of your work ethic. Your criminal record check passed with flying colours. You could get a job anywhere- why here?”
What Gyeong-seok wants to say is, this is a private elementary school that I want my daughter in, tuition here is double what I pay for my mortgage every month, I read online that the children of staff get reduced fees. He also would like to add that, I’ve applied at every office job and every work-from-home telemarketer position there is, and nobody wants to hire me because I have to take my kid to the doctors once a week. At least with this job, I get a day off during the week, and I can pull her from classes to force needles in her arm.
Instead, he takes a deep breath and gives his award-winning smile. “I’m good with my hands, I know how to fix things, and I don’t care about getting puked on.”
Mr. Hwang regards him with interest. “Well, then. How does training Monday sound?”
Like the best fucking news I’ve got all year. “Should work for me. Thank you.”
He attempts to slyly wipe the sweat from his hand before he shakes Mr. Hwangs, but the older man makes something of a grimace, so he presumes he doesn’t do that great of a job. Whatever- can’t fire him for sweaty hands.
Now to learn how to use a mop.
-
Na-yeon stares at him from her place at the dinner table, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and her hands playing with her food. Gyeong-seok hasn’t looked up at her once, choosing to keep his gaze on the somewhat passable spaghetti he put together, and he can only imagine the unimpressed look he’s getting from his seven year old.
“… did you hit a tree again?”
Gyeong-seok blinks, squaring his shoulders. “Huh?”
“You look guilty. Like when you hit that tree with the car.”
“No, I didn’t hit-” he takes a deep breath, placing his fork down on the table and smiling tensely. “I have news.”
Na-yeon raises an eyebrow at him, mirroring his posture and sitting up straighter. ‘News’ often means more appointments, more needles, more sickness. Or that one time he announced that he was quitting smoking. Anyway- it’s always a gamble with the man.
“I got a job.”
Na-yeon nods slowly, looking away from her father. “Oh.”
“Yeah- at.. at a school. As a janitor.”
She tilts her head a bit. “Like… cleaning after people?”
He nods, and she laughs a bit, causing the older man to grunt in confusion. “What?”
Na-yeon glances at the pile of dishes in the sink and the splatters of spaghetti sauce on the floor. “Nothing.”
“I start on Monday. And, the big news is,” he adds, sounding more nervous than before. “You’re gonna be starting there too.”
“… I have to be a janitor?”
“No,” he sighs. “You’re gonna start school. As a student.”
It’s no secret that Na-yeon is a little behind in her academics. With her appointments and all, she barely made it through the homeschool curriculum that Gyeong-seok was forced to teach, and though she should be starting second grade, he made the executive decision to place her in the first grade. She’s a smart kid- very emotionally intelligent, very aware of herself and other people, but her actual school skills are lacklustre. That being said, the girl can read.
It started off many years ago with Gyeong-seok passing her a magazine to flip through during her many hours in waiting rooms. It was mostly so she could look at the pictures and have something to do other than stress about blood work and radiation, but she started asking what different words meant. Soon, she became entranced by reading, and was at a grade level much further than she needed. It was the simple things- math, counting, comprehension- that she struggled with most.
She looks down, fidgeting with her sweater, and Gyeong-seok feels his heart drop at the sadness in her face.
“What’s wrong?”
She sniffles once, twice, before putting on a brave face and forcing a smile. “Nothing. I’m excited.”
“Nay…”
“I’m just-“ she huffs, frustrated that she can’t seem to find her words. “Will I see you?”
“Of course, baby, we’re gonna be in the same building. If you need me, just spill something, and I’ll have to come check it out.” He tries to soothe her, holding out a hand. “Sound like a deal?”
She shakes it slowly, nodding. “Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Your hands are really sweaty.”
-
Gyeong-seok adjusts his uniform eight times before he steps out of the bathroom. Truth be told, he was expecting much worse, having seen too many movies where janitors are forced to wear grown-up onesies, but this isn’t too bad. He’s in a pair of loose fitting pants and a tighter fitting short sleeve, one that happens to do his biceps a little more justice than he was expecting. The pants are a nice shade of blue while the shirt remains black.
Gyeong-seok looks pretty damn good, if he does say so himself.
Still, he fixes his belt once more as he walks out, smiling nervously at Mr. Hwang- In-ho, as he was told to call him- from the man’s position outside the bathroom doors.
“Looks nice.”
“Yeah, not too bad,” Gyeong-seok agrees, shoving his phone in his pocket and sneaking one last peek at himself through a window before they start walking. In-ho talks animatedly about the school before he arrives at an office, nodding toward a man that looks to be a few years older than Gyeong-seok. He has fluffy hair and is wearing a grey button up, and he seems to light up when In-ho walks in the room.
“This is Gi-hun, our school resources officer.”
“So like… child therapist?”
The man laughs a little, standing to shake Gyeong-seok’s hand. “In a nutshell. This is our new meat?”
“Don’t refer to them as meat.”
Gi-hun grins at Gyeong-seok. “Well, he already looks a bit more alive than the last guy, so I have high hopes.”
“Gi-hun will show you around,” In-ho says politely, ignoring the resource officer. “He’ll introduce you to all the teachers and show you around the building. I’ll be in my office if you need me.”
With that, he turns on his heel and leaves, his dress shoes clacking on the ground as he walks away. Gyeong-seok lets out a deep sigh and hangs his head a bit, feeling like he’s already failed at life.
“He’ll warm up to you, I swear,” Gi-hun soothes, a little pity in his voice at the dismay of the other man. “Shall we?”
Gyeong-seok trails behind him, listening as he rattles off the different bathrooms and recycling schedules. They stop in front of a classroom. “This is Dae-ho’s class, he’s a first grade teacher here.”
Gyeong-seok brightens up at this. “Yeah- he’s… my daughter’s in this class.”
They enter, Na-yeon immediately turning and running toward him. The girl has red eyes and puffy cheeks, and she clings to Gyeong-seok’s leg like she’s been tortured since he dropped her off half an hour ago, and Gi-hun fixes him with a sympathetic look.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he greets, bending down and giving her a smile. She glares at him with nothing but hatred and betrayal in her eyes.
“Why’d you leave me here?” She whines.
A younger looking guy, probably in his mid twenties, rushes over at the commotion. His hair is tugged into a half ponytail, and he looks about as stressed as Gyeong-seok feels, watching as he bends down as well to meet Na-yeon at her level.
“Let’s go finish your breakfast, Na-yeon,” he says softly, though his face is flushed in a way that suggests he’s been running after six year olds all morning. Na-yeon shakes her head and shoves her face into Gyeong-seok’s chest.
“Sorry,” he apologizes to Dae-ho, rubbing Na-yeon’s back soothingly, trying to unstick his very upset daughter from his grasp. “Na-yeon, honey, you’ve gotta get back to your class.”
“I hate it here!”
Gyeong-seok sighs, holding her by the shoulders and pushing her back gently. He wipes a strand of hair out of her eyes and smiles at her. “It’s gonna be okay, I promise.”
She glares at him, but allows him to stand up and take a few steps back to distance himself. Dae-ho nods at him and places a hand on Na-yeon’s shoulder, gently guiding her back to her table.
“Cute kid,” Gi-hun comments. “I’ll pull her away at some point today to check up on her.”
Gyeong-seok exhales, running a hand down his face. “She’s very clingy. We don’t spend much time away from eachother.”
Gi-hun holds the door open for him and they exit, walking over to the next classroom, but stopping just outside. “Yeah, I see that a lot. Usually with the mothers, though.”
“Hard to be attached to a mom when you haven’t got one,” Gyeong-seok comments, trying to make the topic a bit lighter and failing miserably when Gi-hun gives him a pitying look. He interrupts him before he can get into the apologies. “One night stand. She disappeared after Na-yeon was born. Left her on my doorstep like I was a firehouse.”
Gi-hun whistles at this. “Yikes.”
“Yep. She’s all I got.”
Gi-hun smiles a little. “Well, I’m glad you have each other. This is Mrs. Jang, third grade teacher, and also our most veteran teacher in the building. She’s been here for over thirty years. If you need anything at all, she is the woman to talk to.”
He opens the door, showing off an older looking woman helping a group of young students take their jackets off. She has a kind aura about her, and she grins widely at the two men, making her way over to them.
“Oh! Hello, hello, I heard we had somebody new starting. I’m Mrs. Jang, and you are?”
“Uh. Gyeong-seok. Park.”
She smiles even wider at him. “He’s cute,” she says to Gi-hun. “Is there a Mrs. Park?”
Gyeong-seok blushes. “Nope.”
“I can tell. You’re too skinny. Look at that waist-“ she moves, grabbing onto Gyeong-seok’s waist with strength. He won’t complain- he hasn’t been touched in years. “Ack, we need to feed you more. Gi-hun, why would you hire this skinny man to do the lifting?”
Gi-hun watches with amusement, waving her off to save Gyeong-seok from his embarrassment. “What did we tell you about commenting on other people’s bodies?” He scolds lightly, though there’s no anger in his voice.
“Ah, yes, yes, I know. It’s not my fault. You kids don’t eat enough food! Everyone is too skinny for their own good.”
“Well, I guess you’ll have to fatten him up. Have a good morning, Mrs. Jang.”
“Nice to meet you…” Gyeong-seok says quietly. They exit the room and Gi-hun holds back a laugh.
“She’s eccentric. But you won’t find anyone who cares about you more than her.”
“Is everyone in the building as…”
“Touchy? Invasive? Flustered? Not really. This is Jun-ho, In-ho’s little brother. Teaches fifth grade.”
Gyeong-seok waves at the shy looking man, who gives him a polite nod in return. Not a conversationalist. Noted.
Gi-hun leads him down a different hallway, knocking on a door and entering. “This is Jun-hee, she’s our fourth grade teacher. And next door is Myung-gi, the gym teacher. They’re together.”
Gyeong-seok nods. “So, dating coworkers is.. like, okay?”
Gi-hun holds up his hand and points at the ring on his finger. “Or marrying them.”
Gyeong-seok furrows his eyebrows. “Who?”
The PA system makes a little beep noise before the collected voice of In-ho takes over. “Good morning staff and students, today is Monday, September 7th, and I want to wish you all a wonderful first day of school. Please be reminded that we have complimentary breakfast being served in the library until nine. Have a great day!”
Gi-hun makes a sheepish face and looks up at the speaker box. Gyeong-seok’s jaw drops.
“You and-”
“Yep. Twelve years.”
Gyeong-seok hums. “Damn. Wouldn’t have guessed that.”
“Anyway, this is our library, and-”
Suddenly, Gyeong-seok’s ears start ringing, and the words falling out of Gi-hun’s mouth don’t make it to his mind. He blinks a few times and stands still, watching as the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen beats the living hell out of a hot plate, and only comes back to life when Gi-hun sighs and makes his way over.
“What’s the problem?”
“Dumb, stupid, piece of-” the woman cuts herself off, looking down at the expectant children in line waiting for their pancakes. She takes a deep breath and wrenches the heat button, her lips curled into a frown and her eyebrows drawn in frustration. “It’s not working. It was literally just working three seconds ago, but of course, the second the kids need it, it breaks down.”
Gyeong-seok swallows thickly, taking a few steps forward, approaching the pair. The kids glance at him and run away, giggling. Now he just feels like an idiot.
“Can I?” Gyeong-seok asks before he registers that he’s speaking. The woman looks up at him and straightens her posture instantly, putting a very fake smile on her face and looking him up and down. She nods, taking a step back and crossing her arms, and Gyeong-seok moves in closer to look at the hot plate.
He wiggles the cord loose and blows on it a couple times, sticking it back in the outlet and applying some pressure. The light turns on instantly and the woman gasps in delight, her face transforming into a smile, and Gyeong-seok can’t help the upturn of his mouth at the sight. She’s even prettier when she’s happy.
“Oh, Gyeong-seok, this is Hyun-ju. Our kindergarten teacher. The kids don’t come in until the afternoon, so she helps with breakfast and does some library work for us in the mornings. Hyun-ju, this is Gyeong-seok, our new janitor.”
And, well, the title hasn’t bothered him up until now. He knows he personally has respect for the janitorial staff in any building he enters, but the word ‘janitor’ just screams ‘dumb and gross’ when he says it to Hyun-ju. He nods in greeting and jumps when a loud noise comes from Gi-hun’s phone.
“Uh oh. Fight in the music room. Gotta go.” And with that, he takes off.
Gyeong-seok looks around nervously, if only to avoid Hyun-ju’s eyes. She’s wearing a long flowery dress, and her hair flows past her collarbones, adorned with a little clip that holds her curtain bangs in position. She shuffles a little.
“Well, now I’m embarrassed.”
“Huh? Why?” He asks, much louder than he intended. He cringes internally.
Hyun-ju flushes a bit and gestures at the hot plate. “Just had to plug it back in.”
“Nah, sometimes the cord doesn’t act right and you gotta touch it a certain way to make it work for you.”
Hyun-ju blinks.
Gyeong-seok realizes the implication of his words and turns bright red, squeezing his eyes shut as he goes to mumble out a formal apology, or ask where he can hand in his notice, but Hyun-ju only laughs.
“Well, I’m awful with all this stuff. Appliances especially. I’ve been in many fights with the projector in my room and lost miserably.”
Gyeong-seok snorts out a laugh. “Happens to the best of us.”
She gives him a smile and leans back against the counter. “So. How’s the first day going?”
He shrugs, trying to appear cool. He really needs to stop doing that, because it never works in his favour, but it allows him to channel his energy elsewhere. Like trying not to stare at the cleavage appearing at the front of her dress. “Interesting.”
“Yeah. That’s one way to describe this place. Certainly interesting.”
The bell rings loudly, causing Gyeong-seok to jump, and Hyun-ju gives him an amused smile.
“Well. Guess I’ll head off.”
“Nice to meet you, Gyeong-seok,” she returns her attention to the kids, bending down to greet them with a hug, and Gyeong-seok can’t take his eyes off of her. He’s interrupted when his phone buzzes loudly in his pocket- a new message from the work app.
Gi-hun: throw up in the music room…
Duty calls.